WTB: whistle in C#

[MTGuru]

I'll grant this: Because of 12-TET enharmonics, you only need 12 unique key designations to specify all possible major keys or scales. That puts you within a limit of 5 or 6 accidentals for a key signature, which is what you usually find. C# major or Cb major (7 accidentals), are not strictly necessary. Nor are any keys with double sharps or flats.

But unnecessary doesn't mean impossible or unwritable or even undesirable, if motivated by theory or practice or preference. At the other extreme, if the choice of enharmonic is completely unmotivated - as in naming the transposing offset of whistle key - then either enharmonic is as good as the other. If you want to think of whistle X as Db and the guy next to you wants to think C#, it makes no practical difference. Especially in ITM, where neither notated scale will play a part in how that whistle is actually used as a transposing instrument.

Anyway, maybe that helps to summarize the points made.

[pancelticpiper]

Whatever the technical stuff, I did make a Generation C# a few years ago and I've had to use it at gigs. Yes people do write stuff in these keys, whatever you want to call them. As I recall I've used the whistle for things in Db Major and Gb Major.

Here they are, Generations in A, Bb, B, C, C#/Dd, D, and Eb.



Seems like at gigs the whistles I end up using the most are D, C, Eb, Bb, and E.

[pancelticpiper]

any formally trained musician is expected to plough through music in C# or Db - or any key up to 7 sharps or 7 flats - equally without much second thought. It's exactly the kind of thing that gets thrown at you in auditions, qualifying exams, etc.

And at gigs! There's not a whistle in my bag, including the C#, that hasn't had to be used at some point.

[Jeff Cullen]

There is a nice Cyndi Thompson song (country music) called "What I really meant to say" that has a nice whislte part.....in C#.

[StevieJ]

C# major is an exceedingly easy key to play in on a C#/D accordion. Didn't think of that before you went for a B&C, eh, MTG?

[MTGuru]

C# major is an exceedingly easy key to play in on a C#/D accordion. Didn't think of that before you went for a B&C, eh, MTG?

Oh no, you're right! But I've got Cb/B major instead. Nya nya nya!

I've noodled with playing melodeon-style on the outer row, and it's quite a nice sound on my box. I even made a half-hearted effort to learn the inner row properly as the chromatic row, but I guess life is too short. Still, it would be fun to bother the tionól pipers at those pesky B sessions.

And at gigs! There's not a whistle in my bag, including the C#, that hasn't had to be used at some point.

With the kinds of performing and recording you're called upon to do, Richard, I'm not surprised!

[MTGuru]

It would be interesting to hear from/about whistle makers in this thread, to know their preferences for naming a C#/Db whistle.

I notice that Susato prefer to label theirs as Db.

[Jeff Cullen]

I have a Burke whistle that is a half step south of D....and it's engraved: "C#".

[Jerry Freeman]

It would be interesting to hear from/about whistle makers in this thread, to know their personal preferences for naming a C#/Db whistle they might make.

Personally, I would name it Ralph.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[MTGuru]

Personally, I would name it Ralph.

Yeah, but I'll bet you name everything Ralph.

[Jerry Freeman]

Personally, I would name it Ralph.

Yeah, but I'll bet you name everything Ralph.

Without Ralph, the Global Penny Whistle Tweaking Research and Production Consortium would never have become what it is today.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[raindog1970]

It would be interesting to hear from/about whistle makers in this thread, to know their preferences for naming a C#/Db whistle.

I've only made a few, but all that have left my shop had C# engraved on the tube.

[JTC111]

Without Ralph, the Global Penny Whistle Tweaking Research and Production Consortium would never have become what it is today.

Best wishes,
Jerry

When I first started playing (all of about 15 or 16 months ago) I ordered a few cheap whistles at one time, figuring it would be good to have a few around ...a Generation, a Walton, and a tweaked Clarke. That tweaked Clarke is what kept me in the game because playing the Gen and the Walton were only slight more fun than bashing my head against a wall.

So thanks, Ralph!

By the way, all of those whistles were in D, none in C#

[syn whistles]

It would be interesting to hear from/about whistle makers in this thread, to know their preferences for naming a C#/Db whistle.

Whatever the customer asks for, but C# by default.

[pancelticpiper]

I'd name my C# whistle Cecil... kinda goes, you know?

Debbie if Db.

No Ralphs.

I call my chopped Generation a C#, I suppose, because it's chopped from a C, and because I'm used to thinking in sharps in Irish music.

The sharp-preference is why I call my extended Bb Generations an A, not a B double flat.

On the Highland pipes everything is in flats... Bb and Eb, C minor, etc.